MMA has seen numerous controversies, from fighters making outrageous statements to Dana White slapping gates; there are endless incidents that happen in the realm of MMA. This time, the controversy does not involve any fighter or promoter, but rather centers on an MMA manager and a journalist. In a recent video, journalist James Lynch claimed that manager of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ali Abdelaziz tried to bully him and barred him from speaking to athletes he manages at Bellator 300. Let’s delve into the details of this incident.
Manager of Khabib Nurmagomedov Accused of Bullying Journalist, Restricts Athlete Talks
Hailing from Egypt, Ali Abdelaziz is one of the most well-known managers in the MMA world. He is the president of Dominance MMA Management, where he manages numerous fighters, including Islam Makhachev, Usman Nurmagomedov, and many others across Bellator and the UFC promotions. Unfortunately, as per James Lynch, he faced an issue with Ali and his management.
Notably, this is not the first time he has faced issues with Ali, as he was already blacklisted from interviewing or speaking to any of his fighters. During Bellator 300’s post-fight interview, the management approached him, intimidating him and instructing him not to ask any questions to Usman Nurmagomedov at the presser.
He found the intimidation deeply unsettling. Lynch emphasized his extensive experience covering the sport, stating that it’s not appropriate to hinder journalists from asking any questions. According to him, throughout his career, he has never posed a question that could be considered remotely controversial. Thus, he felt it was entirely unjustified.
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Lynch further mentioned that when Ali entered the room, he introduced himself to everyone in the media room but blatantly ignored Lynch. Several media persons informed Lynch that Ali’s behavior made it seem like he had known them for a long time, even though that wasn’t the case. Lynch viewed this as a deliberate attempt to embarrass and belittle him.
To Lynch, this incident constituted clear bullying and intimidation, particularly concerning as his livelihood depends on interviewing fighters. He emphasized that if the promotion allows interviews with event fighters, management should not intervene in the process. And this has to stop given it’s terrible for fighter because if they get platform and get expose more it’s bad PR for them.
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